Local church members believe was an anti-Christian attack, dismissing a police claim that he was killed by Maoist rebels.
The body of 40-year-old Anant Ram Gand was found on Feb. 11 on a road in Bhenas village of Nabarangapur district.
A local pastor Chandan Jani told ucanews.com that the victim's throat was slit and his head had been crushed by a heavy object. Gand is survived by his wife, four girls and a boy. He and his family became Christians three years ago but local Hindu villagers opposed their...

On 11 February, Anant Ram Gand, 40, was taken from his home in the village of Raigarh Tehsil, in the district of Nabarangapur, Odisha, by three men who killed him and left his decapitated body in the middle of the road. Since his conversion to Christianity nine months ago, Anant and his family had been harassed by the villagers, the news site reported.
They were not only stopped from getting water from the public well, “he was beaten twice in 2018, ..”. .....

A statue of the Virgin Mary was set on fire in Madhya Pradesh, in the village of Ishgar, which falls under the diocese of Jhabua. Sajan K George says that the fire "took place on 3 February last. The statue of Mary was found burnt in the grotto of the parish of St. Joseph, about 10 km away from the archbishop's house". The Christian community, he adds, "is very disturbed and its religious sentiment is deeply wounded".......

At least 98 Christians belonging to 23 tribal families have been "reconverted" to Hinduism in Tripura on Jan. 20, a far-right Hindu group The Hindu Jargan Manch claimed. Uttam Dey, president of the outfit said that, mostly those migrant workers from Bihar and Jharkhand, were converted to Christianity in 2010. "It is as if the lost family members had returned home," Dey added, according to Hindustan Times. The mass conversion ceremony was sponsored by the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP)......

Police in the state of Uttar Pradesh (UP) arrested and then released four Christians, Mr. Sonu Kumar, Mr. Rakesh Maurya, Mr. Satnam and Mr. Shribaghwan, on charges of forced conversions. They were detained in Kasimaba village of Ghazipur district in UP. Mr. Sajan K George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), denounced "the detention". He said, though the incident occurred a few days ago, it came to light only today......

15 to 20 people barged into the New Life Church in Kowad village and attacked about 40 people who were offering prayers on Sunday afternoon. The attackers were carrying knives, empty beer bottles, swords and iron rods. More than 10 people were injured in the attack. One of the victims named Tanaji Patil said that the attackers also vandalized vehicles in the village. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) spokesperson Nawab Malik said, "The cops are claiming the involvement of (Hindu) right wing."....